Jack Knoxville, Author at Trans Empowerment Project

Celebrating Black Business Month: Uplifting Disabled Black Trans Freelancers & Entrepreneurs

By Mo Viviane (they/them), Program Manager for Trans Employment Project

The month of August is about celebrating Black Business Month! It’s essential to recognize and uplift the incredible contributions of Black Trans businesses, freelancers, and entrepreneurs in the business world. As the Program Manager for Trans Employment Project, I am connected with many talented Black business owners, freelancers, and entrepreneurs leaning into the world of meaningful work. It’s important to highlight these stories and successes of Black Trans, Intersex, and Gender-Expansive folks. We consistently foster a more inclusive and equitable business environment, one that celebrates diversity and empowers Black Trans people in all areas of the workplace and business environments!

The Intersection of Identity
Being a Black Trans person from the South, I face many unique challenges arising from the intersections of my race, gender identity, and disability. Relatedly, many in my community face similar issues, such as discrimination and systemic barriers that have hindered our access to opportunities despite our immense talent and creativity. By acknowledging and addressing these issues, WE CAN ALL create a more supportive ecosystem that allows Black Trans business owners, freelancers, and entrepreneurs to thrive.

Breaking Barriers in Entrepreneurship
Historically, entrepreneurship and business management have offered me a promising path to gain financial independence and pursue my passions, especially as a Black Queer Trans Disabled person. In 2021, I went from being completely unemployed, with no means or access to employment opportunities, not only because we were living through the COVID pandemic, but because I had left a previous workplace rooted in white supremacy.

During this time, I sought free educational tools online to boost myself in the social media content sector – where I had no previous knowledge aside from doom-scrolling and content interactions with folks within my small community of followers. As I was in the learning phases, I wondered where the QTIPOC content creators were and found it harder to hear perspectives from folks who looked and identified like me. This catapulted me to be conscious and intentional about the kinds of clients that I wanted to attract.

In a year, I utilized what I had learned and began searching for clients who valued uplifting QTIPOC voices in their work. I landed three clients, two of which I still work for as a freelancer today. I went from having no income to having nearly $25,000 in revenue in my first year. To some, that may not seem like a lot, but it took a chance on myself and my values to find the meaningful work I sought.

So, Mo – what are you getting at here? Bridging the gap between the experiences of Black Trans freelancers, entrepreneurs, and business owners starts with the education and training of our white counterparts. If you are consistently underrepresenting in your collaborations with Black Trans folks, are you honestly taking steps to invest in our future?

Ways to Collaborate

1. Procurement & Partnership:
Make a conscious effort to support Disabled Black TIGE owned businesses by sourcing our products and services or collaborating on projects. Creating sustainable business relationships uplifts the landscape or equitable business practices.

Mentorship & Education: Offer mentorship programs, workshops or webinars that provide valuable business insights to Black Trans entrepreneurs. Sharing knowledge and expertise can assist us in navigating challenges, developing new skills, and growing our businesses.
Networking Opportunities: Host events or create platforms for networking where Black Trans business owners can connect with potential clients, partners, and investors. Facilitating these connections can open doors and expand our reach.
Financial Support: Consider creating a scholarship or grants specifically for Black Trans individuals pursuing entrepreneurship or seeking to grow our businesses. Financial support can be a game-changer and empower us to achieve our goals.
Marketing & Promotion: Use your platform to promote and amplify the work of Black Trans business owners. Share our success stories, highlight our products or services, and showcase our contributions to the community!
Advocacy & Policy Support: Advocate for policies promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in business. Support initiatives that create equal opportunities for everyone and explicitly uplift Disabled Black Trans folks.
Feedback & Collaboration: Seek feedback from Black Trans business owners on how your organization can better support us. Collaborate on initiatives that align with our needs and aspirations.

Black Business Month provides an opportunity to celebrate and implement better processes to work with creative and innovative Black Trans freelancers, entrepreneurs, and business owners. By fostering an equitable, collaborative landscape, you open up better pathways that continuously shape a future where all voices are heard and all talents are celebrated.

Also, remember creating lasting change requires continuous effort and dedication. By collaborating with Disabled Black Trans business owners all year round, you implement our empowerment and create a more inclusive and vibrant business ecosystem!

Building Inclusive Workspaces: Supporting Disabled QTIBIPOC Employees

Trans Employment Project, Uncategorized

by Mo Viviane

In today’s rapidly evolving workspaces, it’s essential for employers to prioritize diversity and inclusion within their organizations. Fostering a supportive and equitable workspace for all employees, including disabled queer, trans, and intersex people of color (QTIBIPOC), leads to an environment that enables everyone to succeed.

You can implement policies and support systems that specifically address the needs of disabled QTIBIPOC employees, and create a solid foundation for a thriving, accessible workplace.

Here are three strategies your organization can consider to build equity for disabled QTIBIPOC employees:

1. Comprehensive Training & Education for All Staff

To create a culture of inclusion, it’s important to educate ALL staff on the unique perspectives and experiences of disabled QTIBIPOC workers. Implement training programs that cover:

Understanding intersectionality and its impact on disabled QTIBIPOC employees
Unconscious bias and how it affects disabled QTIBIPOC in the workplace
Effective communication and allyship methods for supporting disabled QTIBIPOC co-workers

2. Implement Inclusive & Accessible Hiring Practices

Your organization’s hiring practices greatly impact the diversity of your team. Foster an inclusive recruiting process by:

Actively seeking and recruiting disabled QTIBIPOC candidates
Providing accessible formats for job applications and interviews, such as large print, video interviews, and sign language interpreters
Encouraging the inclusion of disabled QTIPOC individuals in recruitment materials, emphasizing that they are valued and welcome

3. Develop Supportive Policies & Benefits

Ensure that your organizational policies and benefits cater to the needs of disabled QTIBIPOC employees:

Offering flexible work schedules and remote work options, accommodating various conditions and disabilities
Providing comprehensive health insurance that covers both physical and mental health needs, including gender-affirming procedures when applicable
Establishing Employee Resource Groups (ERGs) specifically focused on supporting disabled QTIBIPOC employees, fostering a community where they feel heard, understood, and respected

By implementing these strategies, organizations can create more inclusive workspaces for disabled QTIBIPOC employees, promoting diversity and equity within the workplace and beyond.

Take Back the Narrative: The Work of K Pontuti

Take Back the Narrative, Uncategorized

A narrative on identity and art by artist, filmmaker, and professor K Pontuti

I grew up in a small farm town in Ohio at a time where there wasn’t any language around queerness or transness—at least nothing positive. It was also a time without the internet so information wasn’t as easily available. I remember hearing phrases like “he’s really sensitive,” ”…so creative,” “…so sweet,” “…really insecure,” which later gave way to “he’s a momma’s boy,” “needs toughening up,” “has to learn what is to be a man,” “must be a queer.”

I was quite sensitive, and I could feel my difference although I didn’t quite understand it. I was also creative and became immersed in my imagination through making things. I taught myself to draw by copying my favorite comics – Charlie Brown and Snoopy were top billed in my cast of characters – and some of my fondest childhood memories are of sewing and crafting with my mom. Soon, though, I was steered towards building model cars and airplanes…“boy stuff.” (My sisters’) Barbies were replaced with G.I. Joes.

Like I think many do, I managed by burying it all, and through determination, desperation, and the privileges of a “straight cisgendered man,” I was able to carve out a “good life” for myself as an adult. At least for a while.

Over the years and in hindsight, I remember sensing glimpses of my yet-to-be-recognized queerness through tinglings and fuzzy feelings but mostly just moments of seeing other people living and experiencing life outside of the cisgendered binary and thinking, “Huh…” and sometimes, “That’s beautiful.”

But life’s responsibilities and gendered pathways and norms didn’t leave a lot of room for me to pose these bigger questions to myself. Even though there was an unrecognizable emptiness, anxiety, depression, and

dysphoria manifesting as eating disorders, self-medication, over exercising, and an insatiable drive to prove that I was worth something, I must have known subconsciously that someday this this slimy, hairy, shitball-of-a-person inside of me would be exposed—and I’d have to come to terms with it all.

A few years ago, as I was wrapping up post production on our film, The Yellow Wallpaper (not ever imagining that I may have been the tragic story’s trapped woman), I fell into a mental health crisis that landed me in the emergency room. I was fortunate to have checked myself in, and even more fortunate to have a supportive partner and family to get me there and back. I started therapy and a long process of excavating the why’s, how’s, and now what’s of why I had forever felt this way (and, of course, this was all happening through the start of the pandemic).

I also started drawing again which was the other thing that saved me. Immersed in the simple act of putting pencil to paper, the ideas started flowing, the dexterity came back, and then it just exploded and everything poured out.

Since then, I’ve been going all in exploring my identity, trauma, and past. Making new drawings and scouring through old ones. Doing more therapy…and lots of shopping.

As might be expected, my artwork explores themes of gender identity, bodily autonomy, mental health, queerness, and trans rights, all from a very personal perspective. The work is very autobiographical and chronicles my transition as it unfolds, in real time.

This past September, I had my first gallery show in ages and titled it Pray And Be Thankful 4 Everything. For me it was a title that walked a line between irony and authenticity. I was so very thankful for everything, but I was also sick and tired of being told that I should be. The exhibition was amazing on so many levels; personally, professionally, and in an incredibly affirming way. I did as many presentations as I could, especially once I saw the impact it was making.

The show provided a platform to start direct conversations about important topics, but definitely raised a lot of eyebrows at the university. Through it all, I’ve received many notes, read student and faculty-written reflections, and had conversations that have brought me to tears. I’ve also felt the ostracization and distancing that many queer and trans people experience. But the good absolutely outweighs the bad, and the joy and satisfaction of realizing who I am, and why I am, has made it one of the most amazing years I could ever imagine.

When I look back at my younger self, that sweet kid that liked to sew with mom, who had no idea what was coming their way, no language or support for what was happening to them…I get really sad and feel an incredible loss. The loss of a childhood. And to think it was all spun so well that I thought something was terribly wrong with me.

Now, that sadness turns to anger as I watch people, corporations, even my home state of Ohio, wage war on trans rights (as well as the rights of many others). That sadness turns to rage as I watch the stripping away of the tools, education, and medical care that kids and their families need in order to comprehend who they are and survive.

I’m sure it’s not easy to be a trans kid today, but I never had the chance to find out for myself, and the alternative wasn’t so easy for me, either. I’m still doing my daily drawing practice, and I funnel all of my sadness and anger and rage and grief into my art where I can turn it into strength, hope, and self-affirmation. Deep down, I know

these are the things that I need, and I’m now receiving, so that I can continue my journey, and hopefully help others continue theirs.

So yeah, in that sense I am truly thankful.

See more of K’s work on their website: https://www.kpontuti.com/

Take Back the Narrative: El & Elliott – A Love Story

Community Voices

In the burgeoning digital age, it is not uncommon for couples to meet online, and this is exactly how El and Elliott first connected. Elliott submitted a personals ad looking for friendship and dates, and El excitedly answered the call. During their first in-person hangout in January 2019, El suggested that they spend time in their pajamas drinking tea and watching their mutual favorite show Bob’s Burgers. Afterward, the two were practically inseparable!

Their second hang out was spent at the local kumquat festival in El’s hometown, and yes, it is as cute as it sounds. During the festival, Elliott got to meet El’s brother, who happily invited Elliott to his stepdaughter’s 11th birthday party, despite having only met Elliott for the first time that day. Later that evening, Elliott had the choice to go home or attend the party with El. In that moment, Elliott had a thought: wherever El goes, I want to follow. It was not long after the kumquat festival that Elliott slowly began to realize his platonic fondness for El was the start of a romantic crush. Unbeknownst to Elliott, El had started off the relationship with a crush on Elliott! Over bowls of delicious pho at the local Thai temple, Elliott confessed his feelings for El, which sparked the love of a lifetime!

Although every moment feels memorable when El and Elliott are together, there are some peak highlights. In an eager attempt to woo El, Elliott, who had never baked before in his life, made El’s favorite type of pie, stuck candles in a pie slice, and told El that each candle represented the birthdays that El had spent alone during college, but now that Elliott was here, El would never have to be alone on his birthday from now on. On Valentine’s Day in 2020, El took Elliott to the city aquarium and purchased an extra experience where the two got to go behind the scenes and meet the resident penguins!

In addition to their local fun, the love birds have also spent quite a bit of time traveling out-of-state: an arts therapy conference in New York City; a Tobe Nwigwe concert in Atlanta; a memorial service for El’s beloved professor in Rhode Island; an exclusive tattoo session in Brooklyn; and so much more!

After two full years of love, softness, and healing, El proposed to Elliott via a stunning wood-burned box with handcrafted resin mahjong tiles that spelled out “Will you marry me” on Lunar New Year 2021. Being Chinese American, Elliott had a strong nostalgic connection to the game of mahjong, and in the time of coronavirus, the Lunar New Year felt extra special and sacred. As a multimedia artist, El wood-burned significant Chinese characters that represented him and Elliott, along with an image of two ducklings, which symbolizes everlasting love in Chinese culture. In addition to the beautiful imagery on the box, El painstakingly created a number of mahjong tiles from resin and a set of tiles that helped pop the question.

In March 2020, El and Elliott nervously but excitedly started their transmasculine journey. They started off with calling each other by their chosen names in private, then using their names at coffee shops, before confidently coming out as El and Elliott in social and professional settings. About a year later, El and Elliott took their first shots of testosterone on the same day. In September 2021, El underwent gender affirming top surgery, and in the weeks after, Elliott took gentle care of El during his recovery. In mid-2022, El and Elliott went through the process of legally changing their names, and the two of them could not be happier in watching the other grow and transform into their most authentic selves!

El and Elliott got married on February 20, 2022, and it was absolutely magnificent and beautiful to be openly queer and trans on the wedding day. The venue host, photographers, DJs, and guests were affirming of the joyous couple—never failing to use their correct pronouns and names. Rainbows and trans pride colors were woven into nearly aspect of the wedding: the flowers, the table centerpieces, the decorations, the horse carriage. Yes, El and Elliott rode up to the wedding ceremony in a horse- drawn carriage decorated with gay and trans pride flowers and ribbons! The entire wedding was truly a euphoric celebration of queer trans love.

When friends and family ask about married life, El and Elliott like to say that every day feels like a honeymoon. After four years of being together, the two still have not tired of one another. If anything, their relationship has grown stronger as the days, months, and years pass. The pair have gone through their generous share of ups and downs, but it feels like each moment together makes them fall more and more deeply in love with one another.

Currently, El is attending graduate school in art therapy and counseling, while Elliott remains on the look out for a fulfilling long-term career. The love birds are enjoying their sacred space filled with queer trans love, creating art, reading books, playing games, engaging in thoughtful conversations, and spending time with each other and their loved ones. In the future, El and Elliott anticipate writing a joint memoir that explores their individual and shared experiences with race and ethnicity, gender, sexualities, and more.

See what else El and Elliott are up to here:

El’s website: eltapiakwan.com

Elliott’s website: etapiakwan.wixsite.com/home

Ally to Activist: The Basics

Uncategorized

It’s not new ground, but it’s worth repeating as a disclaimer: showing up looks different for everyone. Not all of us can afford to donate significant portions of our money or time, and there are many other worthy causes and communities out there in need of attention as well. Terms like ‘slacktivism’ are utterly unproductive. There is absolutely value in posting on social media about Trans* issues; it keeps these issues in the public conscience and shows Trans* people that they have allies out there. On the other hand, there is absolutely no value in criticizing people for showing support to the Trans* community. Of course, people can be doing more than posting on social media, but policing the activism of others is a waste of time, creates division, and only weakens the cause. Stay in your own lane, and focus on the positive!

The very basics of allyship don’t actually take any extra time or effort. I would hope that most of us try to be supportive of the people in our lives. Sort of like a happy birthday message, if you see someone post for International Transgender Day of Visibility, you might send a positive message their way to mark the occasion. I would hope that most of us do some research into the political candidate we are considering voting for. Even when busy, we can hopefully find a few moments to Google the candidate’s stance on certain policies and issues or read their flyer. I would hope that most of us call people out on their bigotry when we judge ourselves able to do so safely, in the same way we would call people out who are just being mean without the bigotry angle. An asshole is an asshole.

Going beyond the basics, I would urge you to join the conversation. A lot has been said about the importance of listening to and not speaking over Trans* voices, but it is equally important not to take this as an instruction to withdraw from the conversation altogether. In a reversal of the idea of ‘slacktivism’, where people’s real motivations and commitment to a cause are doubted and penalized, many people seem afraid that their good intentions will be disregarded in the face of their perhaps poorly-chosen words. One of the most important things an activist or ally to any cause can do is lose their fear of discomfort. Learning comes from a space of discomfort – and this can apply to anyone in any situation. Without putting ourselves in unfamiliar spaces where we may make mistakes, we cannot learn and grow. Put simply: stick around after the talk for the Q&A, and don’t be afraid to put your hand up.

If you’re looking for somewhere to start, we’ve compiled some FAQs about the Trans* community here.

If you’re looking for ways to get more involved – why not take action with us?

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